The Stroller: 'Big Brother'

Wolfgang Stoeckl of the Lake Bowen community doesn’t doubt that the government is monitoring telephone calls. "I know for a fact that government agencies do listen in," he says.

By Lou Parrisstroller@shj.com

Wolfgang Stoeckl of the Lake Bowen community doesn’t doubt that the government is monitoring telephone calls. “I know for a fact that government agencies do listen in,” he says. “I have a sister who lives in Egypt, and a year or so ago, just about immediately after completing a phone call to her, I got a call from what I believe was the State Department, and the caller wanted to know what the reason for my call to Egypt was and what language we were speaking. I come from an area in Austria where we speak a dialect that has very little to do with any other language, including German, and is very hard to understand. I am sure that threw the listeners off! I was also advised by my brother-in-law, who was an Egyptian diplomat, not to mention certain names during these calls, as they will trigger most certainly for someone to listen in. I am fully aware that national security is important, but so is civil liberty, and once that is gone, then we are not any different than the former Soviet Union. There are certain groups or organizations that certainly need to be monitored, and I have no problem with that nor do I have a problem with a no-fly list. This country, as well as the rest of the world, is under attack by a radical Muslim movement, and something needs to be done, and sometimes it is hard to differentiate between the good and the bad guys. In this case, I do not object to profiling certain groups, but the average citizen needs to have confidence in his government and should not feel that Big Brother is watching every move. What I do not understand, however, is why this administration would outsource this kind of surveillance to a private contractor.”

SS OZAMA?: Ben Ray of Boiling Springs had raised eyebrows when reading that the wreckage of a 19th-century steamer that smuggled guns and possibly gold was discovered off the S.C. coast. “In about 40 feet of water off Cape Romain, the ship has been identified as the SS Ozama by underwater archaeology pioneer and treasure hunter Dr. E. Lee Spence,” says Mr. Ray. “Since it involved smuggled guns, I have a question for you, Doc: Are you sure you read the name right?”

QUIPS BEN CROMER of Inman: “Isn’t it strange that after a bombing, everyone blames the bomber, but after a shooting, the problem is the gun?”

THAT’S THE TRUTH: A computer scientist, a surgeon and a civil engineer were gathered at a pub. The surgeon boasted, “Surgery is the oldest technology in the world. It’s in the Bible. God removed Adam’s rib while he slept. This is clear evidence that surgery pre-dates all other technological endeavors.” Without so much as a beat, the civil engineer said, “Before that, God formed the Earth, the stars and everything from nothing but chaos. He created rivers, mountains and oceans. This is clear evidence that civil engineering pre-dates all other technological endeavors.” Not to be outdone, the computer scientist pointed out, “Yes, but where do you think the chaos came from?”

ODDS AND ENDS: The Knights of Columbus Council 6076 will be selling fireworks June 25-July 4 to help support its many charitable causes. The fireworks will be available at a stand at the intersection of Southport Road (Highway 295) and Old Canaan Road. Business hours are from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. June 25 through July 2 from 9 a.m. to midnight July 3 and 4.